M3 Nightmare Continues!
Discussion
CoolHands said:
I think that’s rubbish I don’t for one moment believe there are actual pedestrians or debris on the road. I used to get it a lot on the M40 towards London early mornings (before variable limits - this was just those warning matrices). Total bulls
t. I don’t know what the reason is but there must be one.
There is, people phone in pedestrians or debris, then other people go along and clear it.t. I don’t know what the reason is but there must be one.Landshark said:
So if a couple of people call in saying pedestrians between 10 - 11 then on both carriageways will be the reduced limit and the signs. If someone else calls in between 11 - 12 the signs will be set between 10 - 12. (It doesn’t matter whose wrong).
It takes some time for police to get there (there’s not many left!) plus once plucked from the motorway it then takes time for the signs to be cleared.
I don't particularly have a problem if, say, the limit and increasingly urgent warnings were to be shown for a couple of miles in both directions where an incident has been reported, but I've seen the same message and same 50 limit displayed over a distance of 15 miles or more (specifically between J8 and 12) and that's ineffective when it comes to slowing traffic. Drivers become desensitized to the warning.It takes some time for police to get there (there’s not many left!) plus once plucked from the motorway it then takes time for the signs to be cleared.
FurtiveFreddy said:
Landshark said:
So if a couple of people call in saying pedestrians between 10 - 11 then on both carriageways will be the reduced limit and the signs. If someone else calls in between 11 - 12 the signs will be set between 10 - 12. (It doesn’t matter whose wrong).
It takes some time for police to get there (there’s not many left!) plus once plucked from the motorway it then takes time for the signs to be cleared.
I don't particularly have a problem if, say, the limit and increasingly urgent warnings were to be shown for a couple of miles in both directions where an incident has been reported, but I've seen the same message and same 50 limit displayed over a distance of 15 miles or more (specifically between J8 and 12) and that's ineffective when it comes to slowing traffic. Drivers become desensitized to the warning.It takes some time for police to get there (there’s not many left!) plus once plucked from the motorway it then takes time for the signs to be cleared.
On the flip side of that, I’ve seen it where the gantries haven’t been lit and a queue has form and drivers barrelling into stationary traffic taking last minute avoiding action. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing that the signals do alert drivers somewhat, or the fact that people rely on them rather than looking further than the end of the bonnet?!
Landshark said:
CoolHands said:
I think that’s rubbish I don’t for one moment believe there are actual pedestrians or debris on the road. I used to get it a lot on the M40 towards London early mornings (before variable limits - this was just those warning matrices). Total bullst. I don’t know what the reason is but there must be one.
There is, people phone in pedestrians or debris, then other people go along and clear it.t. I don’t know what the reason is but there must be one.But yes, sometimes I suspect they matrix signs are displaying "made up s
t" just to keep people's speed down. I remember three or four weeks in a row coming south down the M11 there were "animals in road". What? Four weeks now, and you haven't fixed the fences to keep the livestock off the motorway? Madness. Unless you're just saying there are "animals in road" because folk will actually slow down for that, unlike "slow - queue ahead", which just prompts most retards to jab the throttle a bit harder...Landshark said:
That’s poor, but then I don’t know what the incident was.
On the flip side of that, I’ve seen it where the gantries haven’t been lit and a queue has form and drivers barrelling into stationary traffic taking last minute avoiding action. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing that the signals do alert drivers somewhat, or the fact that people rely on them rather than looking further than the end of the bonnet?!
Yes, I can understand that happens but some of these unexplained restrictions over an extended distance are definitely counter-productive if the idea is to slow traffic. There's just no way you'll get the M25 to do 50 over 15 miles with no obvious reason.On the flip side of that, I’ve seen it where the gantries haven’t been lit and a queue has form and drivers barrelling into stationary traffic taking last minute avoiding action. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing that the signals do alert drivers somewhat, or the fact that people rely on them rather than looking further than the end of the bonnet?!
yellowjack said:
I've phoned in "pedestrians in roadway" before. Two "festival types" dragging wheeled suitcases up the northbound hard shoulder from Fleet Services toward Jct 4a, in the pitch black, with their backs to traffic. I thought they were insane, and I hope they were quickly picked up by the police car I'd seen on the hard shoulder a couple of miles further back.
Me too, on the M4 a couple of years ago. Saw a man walking away from Reading services, towards Wales.Called 999, got a call back from Police Control (and subsequently the officer who picked him up directly) thanking me, and telling me that he was an illegal who had just jumped out of the back of a lorry at the Services.
Some useful info here on impending closures: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/m3-a3-...
Kinky said:
Some useful info here on impending closures: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/m3-a3-...
Really - all I got was a report of random issues and an overlay of a popcorn advert - you aren't a popcorn salesman are you by any chance? 
Kinky said:
Some useful info here on impending closures: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/m3-a3-...
Road markings, on the new section! wtf??Mr Tidy said:
Kinky said:
Some useful info here on impending closures: https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/m3-a3-...
Really - all I got was a report of random issues and an overlay of a popcorn advert - you aren't a popcorn salesman are you by any chance? 
Landshark said:
That’s poor, but then I don’t know what the incident was.
On the flip side of that, I’ve seen it where the gantries haven’t been lit and a queue has form and drivers barrelling into stationary traffic taking last minute avoiding action. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing that the signals do alert drivers somewhat, or the fact that people rely on them rather than looking further than the end of the bonnet?!
And there lies the problem, lack of forward thinking just watch the rear end of car in front why not.On the flip side of that, I’ve seen it where the gantries haven’t been lit and a queue has form and drivers barrelling into stationary traffic taking last minute avoiding action. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing that the signals do alert drivers somewhat, or the fact that people rely on them rather than looking further than the end of the bonnet?!
You need to be looking way into the distance and read whats going on, watching for changes in condition, speed braking etc.
But that's far to easy.
Another case of an extended 50 limit last week on the M25.
Just after the M26 junction going clockwise, we get "Debris in road 50" and that carries on until 1 mile between the M23 Junction.
That's a distance of 10 miles or thereabouts and because it went on for so long, the average speed most drivers were doing was probably 65-70 with some over that. There were a few bits of tyre carcass I saw in the central reservation around Clacket Lane but nothing visible on the carriageway.
Ironically, that same morning I was on the M25 near Chertsey with no warnings up and I get hit by a bloody great big stone (one of several I could see in lane 3/4) and end up with a cracked windscreen I've just had to get replaced.
Just after the M26 junction going clockwise, we get "Debris in road 50" and that carries on until 1 mile between the M23 Junction.
That's a distance of 10 miles or thereabouts and because it went on for so long, the average speed most drivers were doing was probably 65-70 with some over that. There were a few bits of tyre carcass I saw in the central reservation around Clacket Lane but nothing visible on the carriageway.
Ironically, that same morning I was on the M25 near Chertsey with no warnings up and I get hit by a bloody great big stone (one of several I could see in lane 3/4) and end up with a cracked windscreen I've just had to get replaced.
On the subject of the gantry signs & information displayed there was an amusing one on the overhead gantry at Junction 4a southbound earlier this morning.
It was helpfully advising drivers like me that were heading coastbound that the M25 between the M4 & A3 was queuing heavily in both directions and that long delays should be expected.
Just a shame they weren't using the same sign to advise that there were also delays on the M3 near Winchester or that there were long delays on the A303 as that would have been far more helpful for those of us heading southbound than advising how junctions of the M25, that are in the opposite direction of travel, are coping with traffic.
It was helpfully advising drivers like me that were heading coastbound that the M25 between the M4 & A3 was queuing heavily in both directions and that long delays should be expected.
Just a shame they weren't using the same sign to advise that there were also delays on the M3 near Winchester or that there were long delays on the A303 as that would have been far more helpful for those of us heading southbound than advising how junctions of the M25, that are in the opposite direction of travel, are coping with traffic.
Got onto the M3 southbound at M25/J12 yesterday evening, found that there was a reduced limit and lane 1 closure due to a vehicle stopped in lane 1. It wasn't far onto the M3, so probably only one gantry showing the lane closure, and I saw at least one car who apparently spotted it quite late while still accelerating and had to move smartly into lane 2 to avoid rear ending it. Lousy observation skills from that driver, but it didn't make me feel any better about the overall safety of this system.
And then it was a 50 limit all the way to Lightwater (and at least some way beyond) because "report of obstruction", presumably that same stopped vehicle that someone had phoned in, but the HATOs hadn't yet confirmed the road beyond it was clear.
So it was a lovely mixture of danger and inefficiency at the same time.
I am SO looking forward to this crap being inflicted on the M4.
And then it was a 50 limit all the way to Lightwater (and at least some way beyond) because "report of obstruction", presumably that same stopped vehicle that someone had phoned in, but the HATOs hadn't yet confirmed the road beyond it was clear.
So it was a lovely mixture of danger and inefficiency at the same time.
I am SO looking forward to this crap being inflicted on the M4.
Edited by outnumbered on Monday 30th April 16:49
outnumbered said:
...so it was a lovely mixture of danger and inefficiency at the same time.
I am SO looking forward to this crap being inflicted on the M4.
Danger? Inefficiency? Don't be so damned ungrateful man!I am SO looking forward to this crap being inflicted on the M4.
It's saved, on average, 40 seconds off the average journey time from Hook to London on every third Thursday in the month. And it's only cost millions and millions of pounds, and inflicted abject misery on every single local road user and resident while they did it. Well worth it for the improvements it's brought us, i think you'll find...
I'm reguarly annoyed by M3 speed restrictions for no apparent reason on my daily commute, but on the way home yesterday there was a genuine need for a speed restriction and there was none.
Dangerous amounts of standing water in places, and spray made for very poor visabilty southbound between junctions 2 and 3.
Who on earth manages it....
Dangerous amounts of standing water in places, and spray made for very poor visabilty southbound between junctions 2 and 3.
Who on earth manages it....
JackReacher said:
I'm reguarly annoyed by M3 speed restrictions for no apparent reason on my daily commute, but on the way home yesterday there was a genuine need for a speed restriction and there was none.
Dangerous amounts of standing water in places, and spray made for very poor visabilty southbound between junctions 2 and 3.
Who on earth manages it....
Nobody manages it! Whoever is in charge just seems to do their best to f*ck it up! As they do every day on the M25 from J12 to J11 (or J10 if they are in a bad mood)!Dangerous amounts of standing water in places, and spray made for very poor visabilty southbound between junctions 2 and 3.
Who on earth manages it....
I've given up on the M25 - I generally use the A331, A31 and A3 to get to the same place quicker (and it's only 3 more miles)!
Plus I don't need to use the M3. Eight year old boy killed on the M6 when a lorry hits a Yaris that has stopped on the hard shoulder.... Http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-44329223
If people are killed even with the safety of a hard shoulder, what chance do you realistically have without one?
If people are killed even with the safety of a hard shoulder, what chance do you realistically have without one?
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